Liverpool’s Premier League season has been all but flawless.

The Reds have won 26 of their 27 Premier League games so far this term, and currently lead the division by a huge 22 points. With just 11 matches left before the end of the campaign, they are 12 points away from confirming their status as champions.

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However, so far, their Champions League run has not been as straightforward. It took them until the final matchday of the group stages to secure their place in the knock-out round of the competition after they had failed to beat Napoli either home or away, whilst they were defeated 1-0 by Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their round of 16 tie. In that game, they failed to muster up even a single shot on target.

It has been a fantastic term to date, but the Reds must look to progress, and a new midfielder may not go amiss in the summer – Adam Lallana is expected to leave, whilst Jurgen Klopp’s clear frustration with Naby Keita recently indicates he may not have too long left at Anfield.

Marcelo Brozovic, who the Merseyside outfit reportedly scouted at the Milan derby in February, per FC InterNews, could be a brilliant option.

Here, we take a look at three rave reviews he has received from those in the know.

Calciomercato, Italian football website

Website Calciomercato is dedicated to all things Italian football, and they have been singing the praises of the Croatia international in recent months. In October 2019, they explained how the 27-year-old is Internazionale’s “underrated hero”, writing:

“One man who has been inspirational throughout this run and who has not been credited enough for his work rate is defensive midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

“The 26-year-old is a real powerhouse in the middle of the park which is making it easy for Antonio Conte’s men to control the game in a smoother manner.”

The Nerrazzurri started the season fantastically – they won all of their first six matches, and 12 of their initial 14 – and Brozovic played a big part in that. He was included in the starting line-up for every single one of the initial 16 clashes, scoring two goals and providing three assists along the way. As the report says, he has played a big part in their return to the top.

Antonio Conte

Conte, the now Internazionale boss, is one of the best in the business. He led Juventus to three Serie A titles, steered a poor Italy side to the quarter-finals of the European championships in 2016, and also won the Premier League and the FA Cup with Chelsea. The 50-year-old clearly values Brozovic, saying so before Inter’s match with Parma at the end of last year – although he was reluctant to agree with comparisons to Andrea Pirlo (as per Goal.com):

“Brozo can get better. He can get better with his passes to the attack, he can set up more goals. We are working on this. I think he needs to also work on his defensive game. A holding midfielder must be good in defence too. He can become world class.

“As for Pirlo, I do not want to make a comparison with Brozo. Pirlo is someone who is a genius. He made history in this game. Brozo has different traits, he is training well and I am pleased with him. I want him to become a world-class player.”

Now-retired Pirlo is one of the greatest Italian players to ever grace the planet. He earned 113 caps for Italy, winning the World Cup, whilst he also got his hands on six Scudettos and two Champions League trophies. Brozovic – who has a release clause for foreign clubs of €60m (£51.2m) – is good, but not at that level.

Zlatko Dalic, Croatia manager

Dalic is the most successful manager in the Balkan nation’s short history – he led them to the World Cup final in 2018 for the first time in their history – and he is another who is a fan of the former Dinamo Zagreb man. Prior to Croatia’s Euro 2020 qualifier with Wales in October, for which Brozovic was absent, he said (as per Vecernji):

“He is very important to us in the game, he is very calm and his technique is perfect. Through him we can easily get out of the opponent’s pressing. We’ll miss him, but we’ll have to look for a new solution.”

It is no coincidence that Croatia could only manage a draw in that match. If they want to succeed at this year’s tournament, they will need the Inter man in their side at his best.